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Claire Campbell

Dear Dad

Claire Campbell
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Dear Dad

There have been times that I’ve been disappointed in my Dad. Dad’s are supposed to be the heroes in the family. The ones who keep everything together. Dads just seem to have super powers. I know for a fact that my father’s grandchildren definitely see him as a superhero.

I’ve sometimes struggled with the fact that my Dad is human. That at some given time he was going to do something that I did not agree with. Although I’ve had difficulty with my father, I’ve always loved him.  Loving him might have been hard, but if I had to write him a letter there would be a few things I’d say to him.

Thank you Dad!

Thank you for all the things you have taught me. The time and the energy you took in raising me. You are my constant friend. You taught me to love the Lord, which was the greatest gift. You’ve been my encourager and cheerleader in all walks of life.

You may not know it, but I’m thankful for you. Every sacrifice you’ve made has not gone unnoticed.

I’ll never forget when I graduated and you cried. You were so proud. Dad it was an honor to make you proud.

I forgive you.

Not all dads are superheroes. I soon come to that realization with my own Dad. Even through the trials Dad, you have taught me. It took a while to forgive you, but I did. I forgave, because in that time I learnt to rely on my heavenly Father Jesus. I forgave because you will always be my Dad.

Things I’ve hardly got to say.

There are many things that I wish I had said more to my Father. Luckily for me, God has still blessed me with more time with him. I want him to know that I truly love him. That he has been my mentor in many areas of life. That I’ve relied on you when I had no one else to rely on. Dad you are my best friend.

Dear Dad, you have forever left a mark on my heart. For ever thing you have done. Thank you!

 

In the beginning

Claire Campbell
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In the beginning

For some people beginnings aren’t as simple and smooth as they are for others. Despite this, the fact is that we all need to start somewhere. For every beginning, something needs to end and in order for something to end, it only meant a new beginning would be on the horizon.

I’ve found that beginnings aren’t the tough part for me, it was being stuck in the middle of a season that challenged me. It was about getting to the end of a really good season, and having to start a new one that tested me.

After facing a challenging season, I’ve realized some truths in the midst of this season. Truths that I know will forever be in my back pocket when facing a challenging season again.

In the beginning

What if our beginnings had nothing to do with us, and everything to do with someone else? Often I’ve asked myself: “how would this season benefit my life?” Only to be disappointed by the fact that what I was going through was because I needed to help someone else. How I embrace my beginnings will always set me up for a win. Choosing not to make the beginning about myself, but rather about what I can do for others.  It’s easy to start off strong in anything, but we need to stay strong throughout the season.

What do I do in the middle?

Have you ever felt like you are running a race, but never reached the finished line? That’s how it feels to be stuck in the middle. You’re running but the finish line is out of sight. So what can I do to get there faster? Usually the middle of a season is where you are tested the most. It’s as if you are stuck with no way out. I’ve found that this was the time when I needed to change my thinking. I needed to see things differently and I needed to be more attentive than ever.

Being stuck in the middle can be challenging, but could also be the most rewarding. It’s all about seeing the finishing line differently, and not loosing sight of your end goal.

How do I finish strong?

No matter what you do, you can’t give up. You have to remind yourself why you started and keep going until you cross that finishing line. Pray intently, and allow God to guide your every step to that finishing line. Just remember that once you finish, something new will begin. Not all beginnings are the same, and not all endings are either.

Every season is not only about how you start, but it’s about learning through the tough parts and finishing strong. Beginnings should start with God, and end with God.

 

 

With lifted hands

Claire Campbell
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With lifted hands

I’ve rarely come across a person who has adjusted to change instantaneously. To move anything around in one’s life is difficult, but not impossible. We often see the challenge, but don’t see the change in the challenge.

I like singing but I love singing worship in church even more. The only problem is that I am an introvert. In order for me to sing, means I have to be around a lot of people – I’m not the best when it comes to dealing with people.

Recently I’ve been challenged to go back to a place that’s uncomfortable and vulnerable. I had no idea what I was doing, but I knew that I had to find myself standing in that place again. I’d never felt so alone in a crowded room before. It was as if I was doing this all on my own.

A few weeks ago, I stood asking myself “how am I actually going to do this?” Only to be asked for coffee by a loving friend, who offered to mentor me through this time. It was as if I spoke words, that echoed straight to the Fathers heart. I was overwhelmingly shocked as tears came pouring down my face. It was as if God knew I could no longer do this on my own.

The definition of lifted means to “pick up and to move to a different position.” That’s exactly what I felt I needed  to do, to pick myself up, make the sacrifice and move to the exact place God wanted me to be.

It’s not easy, but I know I did things that helped me along the way.

I lifted my hands

I remember standing and asking God to use me, my arms were raised in utter surrender, waiting for Him to tell me what it is that I should do? To my surprise, it wasn’t the answer that I was expecting. I realized that we can either run away from what He has called us too, or run straight to Him in this time. Ever since I’ve gone back to the place that He has called me to, I have been standing with lifted arms. I know that if I don’t completely surrender to Him, that I will not be able to do this.

I chose to be mentored

I’m a stubborn person, but I needed to admit to myself and to God, that I needed help. Help from someone who wasn’t older than me, but that has wisdom in the very thing that I was stepping into. Today, every time I need to do the something that seems impossible, she’s right there besides me, encouraging me all the way.

Not only is she there to encourage me, but to correct me. Correction is hard, but we need to know when it’s not okay to be doing something, when we are pursing the things of Christ.

I now that I’ll never be alone in this journey with God. I do know that it took me lifting my hands, in order for Him to move in every sphere in my life.

 

Two planks and three nails

Claire Campbell
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Two planks and three nails

There’s not much you can do with two planks and three nails. I know this because my grandfather was a carpenter. Three nails are so limiting. What could we humanly achieve with two planks and three nails? However, I know a man, who walked with twelve men, who was able to do something wonderfully miraculous with these limited resources.

I guess if we put it into perspective, it is really hard to try to create something beautiful. More than two thousand years ago, a man decided to create a beautifully painful picture that consisted of two planks and three nails. He crafted it beautifully, so much so that even the twelve men who followed him, had questions. I sure know that I would have questions too!

I know that my questions would be different to theirs. My questions would be something like:

Why the cross?

If I had it my way, I would have walked and talked to this man for all my days. Yet, Jesus chose the cross for all humanity just to get a glimpse of His love. It was the biggest representation and symbol of love that He could possibly give you. So why the cross, Jesus? I suppose to show you that nobody would ever be able to love you the way He does. That even though He crafted the cross, He decided that you are worth more than just a beautifully crafted cross.

The cross was a symbol of suffering, but you were worth dying for. That’s why it’s beautifully crafted; it is a reminder that in the midst of our disaster and pain, there is always hope.

What does hope mean?

Hope means to trust, it means to be expectant for a certain situation or thing. It also means to wait!

I know that in our ‘two-minute noodle’ world, it’s become hard to wait, to trust and to hope. It’s become hard to even expect anything from anyone, because we no longer know what trust is. But, I know if we can put our hope in Jesus, He’ll be able to exceed all of our expectations. He’ll turn the pain into prosperity and the lack into an overflow of abundance.

If He was able to turn the two planks and three nails into a cross, and sacrifice Himself for me and you, How much more would He not do for you and I?  You are beautifully crafted by the exact man who crafted the cross.

If you’d like to know more about what Jesus did for you on the cross, click on the popup or the banner below…

Broken telephone

Claire Campbell
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Broken telephone

As a teacher, I have to constantly come up with different ways to teach my children. A way to always get them to concentrate and listen is to play different educational games with them. When playing broken telephone, I repeat a sentence to a child in their ear, and then they pass the message on, to the next person. The last child to receive that message has to say it aloud. Whether it’s the same message that we started off with… is a different story.

I’ve found that we often misinterpret messages, because our generation is quick to use our phones and not confront situations. Social media has become our outlet on a filter based life. Yet, we standing on the other side of our phones, wondering why are we so broken?

What if, instead of having broken relationships, we had broken phones?

Don’t get me wrong, I communicate with the ones I love on a daily basis through social media and text messages. But when serious issues arise, I choose to confront them in person and in love.

Misunderstood messages have often lead to broken relationships in my life. Mainly, because I was reading to respond and not reading to understand. My hurt was always greater than the other persons hurts, but how can we measure hurt?

I’ve learnt two hard truths when confronting the fact that my phone needs to go and  response need to change.

I need to take ownership of my words.

A friend sent me a text, and after reading it countless times, I still didn’t know how to respond to him. I knew in my heart of hearts that he didn’t mean what he had sent in the message, but it hurt. My response to the message was also based out of emotion and before I knew it, we were no longer friends. Most of the time we say things that we wish we could take back, that’s because we base what we say on how we feel. With a broken friendship and words I could not take back, I myself found that I also needed to change my response.

My words were under my ownership, and if I had had more control over them, maybe our friendship would have lasted. After months of not speaking we finally spoke face to face and resolved the issue. We could do this because we were mindful of what we had to say to each other, and we addressed the issue in love.

It’s better in person

I don’t want to admit it, but sometimes we need to see the hurt in the eyes of our friends. Why? Because it makes us realize that even though they might have hurt us, that something in us might also need to change. It’s better in person to talk it out, than to text it out and have more misunderstandings. A healthy, and honest relationship is better than a misunderstood response, or no relationship at all.

Today I still try to remind myself that I need to commuincate better. It’s hard in this technological world, but what I do know is that I don’t need to follow what the world has to offer. Communicating with people in my life has eased the burden of being liked on social media, and allowed me to build really good relationships.

I’m still a work in progress, and my phone isn’t broken yet. But what I do know, is that my phone is no longer a priority in my life.

How have you come up with ways to communicate better with the people in your life?

 

 

 

 

 

When a friendship isn’t picture perfect

Claire Campbell
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When a friendship isn’t picture perfect

Recently, I’ve found myself surrounded by a great army of amazing women, each of them uniquely different.

One thing has stuck out for me: the fact that they are all constant. Not only constant in showing up, but constant in character. They’ve been adding value to my life, and to the lives of others around them. I don’t think girls realize the impact they have on one another. One thing I know for a fact, though: these girls have brought out colours in me that I didn’t even know I had. Over time, they have become more than friends: they have become sisters. Yes, we are different, but it’s our differences that keep us together!

About a week ago, I found myself looking at a picture of me and some girls in my life. We were all laughing, trying to say a word that would make us all pout in the photo. I showed a good friend of mine the photo, to which he responded that this is what true friendship looks like.

Yes, that picture represented a great moment in our friendship. But in real life, things don’t always run that smoothly. People make mistakes. They fail. Friends disappoint. Friendship isn’t always about picture perfect moments.

What is your friendship based on?

A year ago, I found myself facing this very reality.

My best friend and I had a disagreement that was not in either of our control. I knew that my words and actions would affect her, so I drew back from the situation. However, I found that even though there was hurt initially, our friendship could survive. In the end, we managed to overcome this problem because of one simple reason: Our friendship wasn’t based simply on respect or mutual interest. Our friendship was founded on the one characteristic that is more important than all others: love.

The Bible (in 1 John 4:7) says something really interesting: “Everyone who loves has been born of God and knows God.”

And that, quite simply, is why our relationship survived. Not because of some secret friendship formula. But because our love for each other is modeled on the love God has shown us individually. The love we have for each other is rooted in the fact that a loving God accepted us in the first place. In the light of that, there is just no way we can hold a grudge against one another. He set the example of unconditional love. Today I laugh with her and share in her victories. Our relationship has been fully restored. And it’s all because of that foundation of love it was built on.

How do I befriend a friend again?

No one ever wants to admit that what they have done to someone could have potentially damaged a friendship. But I believe that an earnest “sorry” goes a long way. While it may not make up for lost time with that friend, it’s the beginning of a healing process. I found that sometimes all you need to do is sit down with that friend over a good meal, or a fond memory, to realize that a friendship is worth its weight in gold.

Above all: honesty

It’s tempting to begin to beat around the bush when it comes to issues with friends. Sometimes, in trying not to hurt someone, we end up not addressing an important issue that could potentially wreck a friendship. In the long run, however, honesty is always best. Is something bugging you? Communicate it! If your friendship is founded on the kind of love I’ve been talking about, talking about potential issues directly won’t wreck things – it will only strengthen your friendship!

In the end, it’s worth fighting for a good friendship. My friends are everything to me and so much more. They have taught me lessons that I could not have learnt from anyone else. They’ve allowed me to look within myself and find my worth. They have allowed me to be their friend, even though I haven’t always been the friendliest person. They’ve shown me a glimpse of who God is, just by being loving friends.

A million reasons

Claire Campbell
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A million reasons

“These labels prove to be wholly inadequate.”

I’ve been labelled far too many times in my life, in fact I don’t think the world will ever stop labelling me. Although at first I don’t think I realized that most of the things I did in my life were labelled. It was all neatly sorted, placed into individual boxes and stored! The only problem with those boxes though, was that all the potential lay in the one that had never been opened, the one that I had labelled inadequate! Why inadequate? Because I chose to believe words that weren’t true, I chose to follow trends that sooner or later faded away.

In this year, I stood in front of one of those inadequate boxes and I had a choice to either leave it closed and push it further back, or to open it. I found that even though it was just the start to the year, I was being challenged. Not only to open the box, but to see the potential inside myself to actually go for that which I have been praying for, for so many years.  There were many times where I’d tell myself that there was no reason to go and try to fulfil my God-given dream. Reasons that were not good enough for the plans and purpose of God.

A million reasons ran through my head as to why I couldn’t open the box, but there were two persistent reasons that I kept holding on to:

  • I’ll never be good enough
    I always believed that God called everyone else, but me! I believed it so much, that I eventually trusted and believed for God to come through for everyone else, except me. Until I sat one day in church and heard a voice asking me to test Him in this. The voice never went away, God wanted to prove that He is faithful, and that where I felt not good enough, that He was good enough to do as He said He would.
  • I’m an introvert
    Silence is often misunderstood. I love people, but I’m most careful with them too. I’ve found that if I never had time to just draw back, that I would be socially drained, and possibly the worse version of myself to other people. So how was opening this box ever going to help other people if I couldn’t even converse with them on my best days?

God gave me a good reason to open the box, a reason that I couldn’t ignore and I’ve found myself standing in front of the box ever since. He never tried to shout the answer, He sent people my way that without them knowing, answered a prayer that was once prayed. He ripped the label off the box, and placed His name on it. Inadequacy wasn’t an option for Him, I had to choose to see myself through His eyes. I had to allow Him to love me and to show me something different than what I believed in. I had to be found in Him and find myself in Him.

The truth is that I’m not good enough, but He is. I need to look past my inadequacies and look at Jesus. I believe that we can allow the world to label us, or we could even label ourselves, but at the end of the day, who does God say you are? What has He called you to do and to be? There are no labels with God, just pure love.

Today I still stand in front of that box, who knows, one day I’ll open the box fully, but for now I’ve decided to open it slowly, every time I do, I catch a glimpse of His light and I find it hard to close the box again. And the only reason that I still stay standing at the box, is Jesus.

Skinny love

Claire Campbell
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Skinny love

I’ve come to the realization recently that the world often cheapens this thing we call love.

I was once told by a good friend that love is not a feeling – that it’s a choice. We choose to love? What is love anyway? I believe that we all love differently and I’ve found that over the years, the way that I chose to love has failed me. Maybe because my motives to love were just too “skinny”…

In the past I chose to love in half measure depending on what the person had to offer me, instead of offering that person the exact measure in which I had come to know love. I was afraid that if I did love from the very core of who I am, that this desolated world would just reject me, and instead of running to love I ran away from it.

In desperate despair, I realized that what I had to offer the world, needed to look and feel different than what the world had to offer. I found myself asking questions that I knew wouldn’t have simple answers, but in the end I chose to love. Not a skinny love, but a wide-open-space love that was filled with endless possibilities.

In choosing to love, I was faced with many challenges, but also many truths that have changed my whole perspective on how to love (including my perspective on what love really is).

Love without limits

The Bible says it like this:

“Love from the centre of who you are – don’t fake it!” (Romans 12)

The very first truth that I learnt was that trying to love anyone in my world the way I’ve been loved would just not work. I had to love from the very centre of who I was – not in the imperfect, often superficial way sometimes modeled to me in past experiences.

Not only did I have to centre myself around love, but I had to be vulnerable and willing to love. Nobody ever mentions the cost to love, but there is great freedom in loving when we choose to love without any restrictions and out of a place of honesty and purity, even when it hurts.   

Taking second place

“Be good friends that love deeply, practice playing second fiddle”

Nobody ever wants to be second best! Me neither! But I found that by elevating people and encouraging people, God never put me second. My sphere of friends kept growing; and the love I had for those around me grew, as they taught me things just by being themselves around me. It’s hard putting yourself second, but then I think of how Jesus willingly did that by dying on the cross for us.

If you want to model this spacious and free love, you have to experience it yourself first. If you want that, all you have to do is ask – because that’s how God loves you!

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